Stage apparatus.



J. A. VAN S'ANT. STAGE APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED MA 1910- 984322. E Patented Feb. 14,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS INVENTOR J. A. VAN SANT,

STAGE APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR, 17, 1910, Patented Feb- 14 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JAMES ALFRED VAN SANT, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

STAGE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

Application filed March 17, 1910. Serial No. 549,821.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, James A. VAN SANT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stage Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to stage apparatus, and it has for its object to provide scenery frames in sections, each section being pivoted, there being means by which the several sections may be turned on their pivots simultaneously.

Another object of the invention is to provide stage properties with means by which they may be supported on the sections.

By the use of my stage apparatus, it is possible to arrange scenery on what are temporarily the rear sides of the scenery sections and to support thereon stage properties, so that the scene presented to the audience may be instantly changed by swinging the scenery sections on their pivots.

Still other objects of the invention will appear in the :lt'ollowing complete description.

In this specification I will describe the preferred form of my invention, it being understood that the scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompany ing drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of my invention, showing some of the sections with scenery and stage properties secured thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the upper string piece, showing the sections, the pulleys and the belts disposed over the pulleys; Fig. 3 is an enlarged, sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 1 is an enlarged, sectional view on the line 4-4; of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a sectional view, showing the manner of pivoting the sections of the string piece together; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged, sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that a central bottom string piece 7 is provided, which is secured to the stage of a theater, there being two side bottom string pieces 8 which are secured to the cent 'al bot tom string piece 7, the side string pieces 8 being disposed at any desired angles relatively to the central bottom string piece 7. .At. a distance above the bottom string pieces 7 and 8, there is a central upper string piece composed of sections 9 which are pivoted together, as best shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, each of the string pieces 9 having a tongue 10 disposed in a recess 11 in a neighborin string piece, the said tongue 10 being pivoted to the neighboring string pieces respectively, by bolts 12. Side upper string pieces, composed of members 13, are pivoted to the upper end string pieces 9, these upper side string pieces 13 being disposed over the bottom side string pieces 8, the upper central string pieces 9 being disposed over the central bottom string piece 7. Secured to the string pieces 7 and 8, and projecting upwardly, are elongated pivots 14L having cross pins 15 projecting therefrom. J ournaled in the sections 9 and 13 of the upper string pieces, are studs 16 which are disposed over the pivots 1 1, these studs 16 having pulleys 17 secured thereto, the pulleys 17 being disposed above the sections 9 and 153. To the under side of the pulleys 17 are secured plates 18 which are adapted to rotate relatively to the sections 9 and 13 with little friction. These plates 18 are secured to the pulleys 17 by means of pins, or teeth, which project upwardly into the said pulleys.

Scene :lramo sections 19 are provided which are rectangular in shape and have side, top and bottom members and also transverse members 20 which are disposed parallel with the top and bottom members. In the top members 21 of the sections 19 are angular openings 22 in which lit angular portions 23 of the studs 16, the members 21 having sliding engagement with the angular portions 2? of the said studs 16. Connecting the bottom members 2-lof the sections 19 with the lower, transverse members 20, are sleeves 27) which project through the bottom members 24: respectively. These sleeves have oppositely-disposed vertical slots 26 which extend through their lower terminals, the cross pins in the pivots il-t being adapted to slide in these slots 26. The central frame member 19 has projecting lateral members 27 which project over the neighboring frame members 19, the said neighboring frame members 119 having similar laterally-pro jecting members 27 which project over the frame members 19 which are disposed against their outer sides. By this arrangement it will be seen that when the outer frame members 19 are raised, they will carry with them the frame members which are disposed therebetween. Sections of scenery 28 may be secured to both sides of the frame members 19, so that the sides of the frame members 19, when disposed away from the audience in the theater, may have secured to them sections of scenery which are to be used in the next scene. To the lower transverse members 20 are secured pins 29 on which may be hung papier-mach stage properties 30, such as chairs and other furniture, these properties 30 having slots 31 in their rear which are adapted to engagethe pins 29, the stage properties 30 being supported in this manner.

One of the sections 19, preferably the center one, is constructed without the lower transverse member 20, a long sleeve 25 being provided which extends from the bottom member 24 of the frame to the other transverse member 20. This construction is provided in order that doors 32 may be hinged to the sides of the said sections 19, a central door jamb 33 being secured between the doors 32 and in front ofthe said sleeve 25. The sections 9 and 13 are supported by ropes 34:.

Around the pulleys 17 secured to the studs 16 which are journaled in the sections 9, is disposed a cable 35 which is preferably crossed between each couple of the pulleys 17, so that there will be little danger of the cable slipping on the said pulleys. Similar cables 36 are disposed around the pulleys 1'7 secured to the studs 16, journaled in the sections 13, these cables being also crossed between the said pulleys respectively.

When the apparatus has been assembled as has been described, and a scene has been set, the scene for the second act may be arranged while the first act is being presented, for the scene sections 28 may be secured to what are temporarily, the rear sides of the sections 19 and the properties 30 may be hung on the pins or hooks 29 at the said rear sides of the sections, so that at the conclusion of the first act, the stage hands may lift the end sections 19, engaged by the studs 16 which are ournalcd in the end sections 9 of the upper central string piece, and as these end sections 19 are engaged by the extending members 27 on the next inner sec tions 19, all the rear sections 19 will be lifted, and as the said end sections ,are rotated, the cable 35 will rotate the inner sections 19, thereby turning all the sections simultaneously and disposing the other sides of the sections in view of the audience in the theater. In the same way, the sections 19 which are engaged by the studs 16 journaled in the sections 13 are rotated.

By the use of my apparatus, it is possible to make instantaneous changes of stage settings, which not only saves much time, but also greatly increases the interest of the audience.

It will, of course, be understood that, if desired, heads may be secured to the studs 16 below the upper members 21 of the frames, so that by raising the upper string pieces, by means of the ropes or cables 3st, the frames 19 will be raised high enough to free the slots 26 from the cross pins 15. This will raise the frames above the floor of the stage, so that the properties 30 will not contact with the stage when the frames 19 are rotated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a stage apparatus, a plurality of pivots, each having a cross pin, and a plurality of frames, each having a sleeve for fitting on the pivots, there being vertical slots in the sleeves, in which the pins are adapted for traveling respectively, several of the frames having members which extend over portions of neighboring frames, so that, by lifting the said neighboring frames, all the frames may be raised.

2. In a stage apparatus, a string piece, a plurality of studs journaled in the string piece, the studs having angular portions, a plurality of frames having angular openings at their upper ends in which the angular portions of the studs are adapted to slide respectively, sleeves secured to the frames at their lower ends respectively, and pivots on which the sleeves are disposed, the frames being normally disposed in alinement to form a wall, several of the frames having members which extend over portions of neighboring frames, when in alinement, so i that by lifting the said neighboring frames all the frames may be raised.

3. In a stage apparatus, a plurality of pivoted frames normally disposed in alinement, several of the frames having members which extend over portions of neighboring frames, when in alinement, so that by lifting the said neighboring frames all the frames will be raised.

at. In a stage apparatus, a plurality of pivoted frames normally disposed in alinement and forminga. wall, pulleys secured to the frames respectively, and a belt disposed over the pulleys, several of the said frames having members which extend over portions of neighboring frames, when in alinement, so that by lifting the said neighboring frames all the frames will be raised.

5. In a stage apparatus, a floor, a frame, a sleeve secured to the frame, there being a vertical slot extending through the bottom of the sleeve and upward for a distance, a pivot secured to the floor, which fits the sleeve, a pin on the pivot, which fits the slot, a second pin secured to .the frame, and a piece of stage property normally disposed on the floor, having a slot adapted for engaging the second-mentioned pin.

6. In a stage apparatus, a string piece, a stud journaled in the string piece, the stud having an angular portion, a frame having an angular opening at its top in which the angular portion of the stud is adapted to slide, a sleeve secured to the frame at its bottom, and a pivot on which the sleeve is disposed.

T. In a stage apparatus, a string piece, a stud journaled in the string piece, the stud having an angular portion, a frame having an angular opening at its top, in which the angular portion of the stud is adapted to slide, a sleeve secured to the frame at its bottom, there being a vertical slot in the sleeve which extends through its bottom, a pivot on which the sleeve is disposed, and a pin which projects from the pivot and which is adapted for sliding in the sleeve.

8. In a stage apparatus, a string piece, a stud journaled in the string piece, the stud having an angular portion, a frame having an angular opening at its top in which the angular portion of the stud is adapted to slide, a sleeve secured to the frame at its bottom, a pivot on which the sleeve is disposed, seenery secured to the side of the frame, and a pin projecting from the frame on which stage property may be hung.

9. In a stage apparatus, a string piece, a plurality of studs journaled in the string piece, the studs having angular portions, a plurality of frames having angular openings at their upper ends, in which the angular portions of the studs are adapted to slide respectively, sleeves secured to the frames at their lower ends respectively, and pivots on which the sleeves are disposed, the frames being normally disposed in alinement to form a wall.

10. In a stage apparatus, a string piece, a plurality of studs journaled in the string piece, the studs having angular portions, a plurality of frames having angular openings at their upper ends, in which the angular portions of the studs are adapted to slide respectively, sleeves secured to the frames at their lower ends respectively, pivots on which the sleeves are disposed, the frames being normally disposed in alinement to form a wall, pulleys secured to the studs respectively, and a belt disposed around the pulleys.

11.. In a stage apparatus, a string piece in sections, which are pivoted together, studs journaled in the sections of the string piece respectively, and a plurality of frame sec tions which are of substantially the same width as the sections of the string piece respectively, studs en aging the frame sections, by which they may be turned, and pivots, disposed opposite the studs, on which the sections are mounted.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES ALFRED VAN SANI.

l Vitnesses Geo. II. MiLLAnn, N. II. Bu'r'roN. 

